Vibrating road roller



March 21, 1967 H. PETERS VIBRATING ROAD ROLLER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 22, 1964 n m F Jflwnlor- HERMH/V/V PETE Rs March 21, 1967 H. PETERS 3,309,972

VIBRATING ROAD ROLLER Filed June 22, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invemar: g HERMHN/V PETERS mm mm,

United States Patent Ofiice 3,369,972 Patented Mar. 21, 1967 3,309,972 VIBRATING ROAD ROLLER Hermann Peters, Boppard (Rhine), Germany, assignor to BOMAG Bopparder Maschinenbaugesellschaft m.b.H., Boppard (Rhine), Germany Filed June 22, 1964, Ser. No. 376,813 Claims priority, application Germany, June 21, 1963,

72,374 2 Claims. (Cl. 94-50) This invention relates to a vibrating road roller for large working widths, which comprises roll wheels arranged one behind the other in the direction of travel. Such special road rollers have a large structural expenditure and consequently high costs. In use for construction work, special regulations must be complied with during travel on rolls. This road roller is very clumsy in operation and mode of travel.

It is an object of the invention to provide a vibrating road roller for large working widths, which roller is less expensive, simpler in operation, capable of being controlled more easily, and also usable for smaller working widths.

An essential feature of the invention resides in that the roller comprises at least two independently operable road roller units, which are coupled transversely to the direction of travel. Individually operable road roller units having a relatively small working width are already known. The invention is concerned with the assembling of such units in any desired number to provide a road roller having a large working width. With such a road roller, the above-mentioned disadvantages are avoided and if, according to a further feature of the invention, the units are pivotally movable relative to each other about an axis extending in the direction of travel, the road roller can adapt itself to the surface contour of the desired road. With such a roller, the subgrade of a cambered road may also be compacted.

In a preferred embodiment, the coupling comprises at least two coupling elements, which are arranged one bebind the other in the direction of travel.

Further essential features of the invention will become apparent from the following description.

A plurality of embodiments of the invention are shown by way of example on the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a vibrating road roller according to the invention, for large working widths, which roller is assembled from two road roller units.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing the roller of FIG. 1, the parts protruding over the roll wheels being omitted.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation showing a road roller according to the invention, which consists of three road roller units.

FIG. 4 is an elevation similar to FIG. 2 and showing the roller of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side elevation showing coupling means.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 2 and shows a roller with a trailing roll.

The vibrating road roller for large working widths, which is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, consists of two road roller units 1 of a type known per se. Each road roller unit comprises two roll wheels 3, which are journalled one behind the other in a frame 2. The frame 2 carries in a manner known per se a drive motor 4, which drives by means of a transmission 5 and a chain or gear drive 6 the roll wheels 3 and the rotary unbalance shafts, not shown, which are usually mounted in both roll wheels. Each road roller unit 1 may be independently used for compacting subgrade in its inherent working width. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, two such road roller units 1 are coupled together by means of two rigid rails 7, which are, e.g., bolted to the frames 2 of the two units. The road roller formed by coupling the two road roller units can now operate on more than twice the previous working width. Such a coupled road roller may be controlled by a single operator, who controls the two transmissions 5 with the aid of the usual control levers.

The direction of travel of such a coupled road roller may be controlled in a simple manner by the operator adjusting the two units to different speeds or to mutually opposite speeds, if a rotation on the spot is desired, as is indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2.

If the coupled roller exceeds the width permitted for travel on roads, the road roller may be divided into its two units, which are then travelled individually.

More than two roller units may be coupled together as described, for instance, three units, as is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

To enable the compacting of a cambered roadway, the coupling between the two units may be flexible. An example of such an arrangement is shown in FIG. 5. The coupling consists of two straps 8 and 9, which are secured, e.g., by bolts 10 to the respective underlying frames 2, 2 of the roller units to be coupled. A large angle member 11 is disposed with its angled sides vertical and is welded to a strap 8 adjacent the end of its underlying frame 2. A small angle member 12 is disposed with its sides vertical and parallel to the respective sides of the angle 11, and welded to the end of a strap 9. The angle members 11 and 12 are connected together by bolts 14, 14 and resilient spring members or pads 13 are arranged between the angle members on the bolts. The frames of adjacent roller units are coupled together at their leading and trailing ends by the means shown in FIG. 5. This coupling permits of a certain pivotal movement of the two units about an axis extending in the direction of movement.

Each coupling may have attached to it a bracket or yoke such as yoke 16 in FIG. 6, which forms a horizontal bearing for smaller bridging rolls such as roll 13, which during operation bridge the space between the spaces acted upon by the roll wheels of adjacent units. This arrangement will prevent a formation of an unrolled strip between the road roller units. The subgrade adjacent to such strips is already compacted by the dispersion of the vibration of the road rolls of the roller units so that it will be sufiicient to smoothen any aggregate material which has been raised between the units. The bridging rolls may suitably comprise a trailing roll, which is pivotally movable about a vertical axis. It is of advantage to spring-cushion the bridging or trailing rolls relative to the coupled frames of the roller units in order to avoid a danger of fracture.

Such an embodiment is shown in FIG. 6, in which the rear coupling rail 7 carries a central vertical pivot 15, on which a yoke 16 is pivotally mounted. The free ends of the yoke 16 carry a horizontal shaft 17 on which a trailing roll 18 is rotatably mounted, which extends laterally outwardly beyond the inside ends of the roll wheels 3 of both roller.

Any existing speed difference between the individual Diesel drive motors of the roller units will not affect the main direction of travel because the set synchronizes itself to an absolutely straight course. Larger speed differences may easily be corrected by the operator.

What I claim is:

1. A vibrating road roller combine comprising a first power driven and separately operable and controllable road unit having a roller supporting frame and a pair of rollers arranged within said frame one behind the other and rotatably mounted on said frame, at least one second substantially similar road unit arranged alongside said first road unit with the axes of the respective rollers within the frame of said second unit substantially parallel to the axes of the corresponding rollers within the frame of said first road unit, a coupling member extending between said units at each end of said roller supporting frames of said first and second units and being secured to respective ends of said frames and holding said first and second units together for combined movement and preventing relative up and down movement of said units, said coupling member including a first set of straps each being separately secured at a respective end of said frame of said first road unit and a second set of straps each being separately secured to a respective end of said frame of said second road unit, a first angle iron member including two vertical divergent legs held to each of said first set of straps, a second angle iron member including two divergent vertical legs parallel to respective legs of said first angle iron member and held to each of said second set of straps and being in parallel relationship to said first angle iron member with the angle tip of each of said first and second angle iron members being centered along the respective axes of said first and second straps, a bolt connected between the vertical legs of said first angle iron member and the vertical legs of said second angle iron member, and a spring pad disposed around each of said bolts between the respective vertical legs of said angle 4 iron members, said spring pads permitting some relative movement between said angle iron members.

2. A vibrating road roller combine, according to claim 1, including a yoke member pivotally mounted between the frames of said first and second units and extending rearwardly of said units, and a roller rotatably carried by said yoke member in a position to engage the ground in the area between said first and second road units.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 62,822 3/1867 Crowe 9450 77,048 4/1868 Jones 9450 201,368 3/1878 Ufiord 9450 408,338 8/1889 Davis 94-50 526,647 9/1894 Clarke 9450 602,968 4/1898 Wildman 94-50 642,327 1/ 1900 Hetfner 94-50 651,655 6/1900 Deterding 9450 656,618 8/1900 Acker 94-50 2,245,865 6/1941 LeTourneau 9450 3,038,350 6/1962 Meyer 9450 X 3,048,089 8/1962 Kaltenegger 9450 3,049,063 8/1962 Tinnin 9450 JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Primary Examiner. 

1. A VIBRATING ROAD ROLLER COMBINE COMPRISING A FIRST POWER DRIVEN AND SEPARATELY OPERABLE AND CONTROLLABLE ROAD UNIT HAVING A ROLLER SUPPORTING FRAME AND A PAIR OF ROLLERS ARRANGED WITHIN SAID FRAME ONE BEHIND THE OTHER AND ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME, AT LEAST ONE SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR ROAD UNIT ARRANGED ALONGSIDE SAID FIRST ROAD UNIT WITH THE AXES OF THE RESPECTIVE ROLLERS WITHIN THE FRAME OF SAID SECOND UNIT SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXES OF THE CORRESPONDING ROLLERS WITHIN THE FRAME OF SAID FIRST ROAD UNIT, A COUPLING MEMBER EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID UNITS AT EACH END OF SAID ROLLER SUPPORTING FRAMES OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND UNITS AND BEING SECURED TO RESPECTIVE ENDS OF SAID FRAMES AND HOLDING SAID FIRST AND SECOND UNITS TOGETHER FOR COMBINED MOVEMENT AND PREVENTING RELATIVE UP AND DOWN MOVEMENT OF SAID UNITS, SAID COUPLING MEMBER INCLUDING A FIRST SET OF STRAPS EACH BEING SEPARATELY SECURED AT A RESPECTIVE END OF SAID FRAME OF SAID FIRST ROAD UNIT AND A SECOND SET OF STRAPS EACH BEING SEPARATELY SECURED TO A RESPECTIVE END OF SAID FRAME OF SAID SECOND ROAD UNIT, A FIRST ANGLE IRON MEMBER INCLUDING TWO VERTICAL DIVERGENT LEGS HELD TO EACH OF SAID FIRST SET OF STRAPS, A SECOND ANGLE IRON MEMBER INCLUDING TWO DIVERGENT VERTICAL LEGS PARALLEL TO RESPECTIVE LEGS OF SAID FIRST ANGLE IRON MEMBER AND HELD TO EACH OF SAID SECOND SET OF STRAPS AND BEING IN PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP TO SAID FIRST ANGLE IRON MEMBER WITH THE ANGLE TIP OF EACH OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND ANGLE IRON MEMBERS BEING CENTERED ALONG THE RESPECTIVE AXES OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND STRAPS, A BOLT CONNECTED BETWEEN THE VERTICAL LEGS OF SAID FIRST ANGLE IRON MEMBER AND THE VERTICAL LEGS OF SAID SECOND ANGLE IRON MEMBER, AND A SPRING PAD DISPOSED AROUND EACH OF SAID BOLTS BETWEEN THE RESPECTIVE VERTICAL LEGS OF SAID ANGLE IRON MEMBERS, SAID SPRING PADS PERMITTING SOME RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID ANGLE IRON MEMBERS. 